Washboard.



P. M. BURDEN.

WASHBOARD. APPLICAIION FILED APR.5. 1915.

ll fiwfi i 1 Patented Dec. 5', 1916.

2 SHEET$SHEET I.

P. M. BURDEN- WASHBOARD. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, I916 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ammwwsn I Patented 10%. 5,1916.

inierarnsi WASHBOARB.

LQQW dlld.

Application filed April 5, 1916.

board temporarily into contact at pre-determined intervals with the articles being washed, thereby enabling the soap to be used economically and insuring the proper quantity of soap being difi'used over the rubbingsurfacc of the rubbing board.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for moving the soap, step by step, into contact with the articles being washed, which may be operated by the pressure exerted through the rubbing action upon a rubbing board associated with. the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a washboard of the class described with a rubbing board mounted to oscillate within a supporting frame in such a manner that oscillatory movement of the rubbing board will operate the soap moving mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting frame with an oscillatory rubbing board and having mounted thereon a member by. 1neans of which the frequency with which. the cake of soap is brought into contact ivithl e articles upon the rubbing board may be increased or decreased as desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, although no restriction is necessarily made to the precise details of construction therein shown, as changes, alterations, and modifications withinthe scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a washboard constructed in accordance with the adj ustably" Epecification of Letters Patent.

V Patented 5,

Serial no. eases.

inyention. Fig. :2 is a rear elevation, parts being shown broken away to better illustrate the mechanism for moving the soap into contact with the articles upon the rub b ngboard. Fig. is a vertical longitudinalsectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2. F 1g. i is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on the line of Fig. 2 and showii'ig a portion of the soap moving mechanism in a different position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line (F-6 of Fig. 2 to more clearly illustrate the ratchet mechanism for operating the soap moving means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates a. ttshaped supporting frame having spaced parallel arms 2, each of which. is provided between its ends with a bearing opening 3, said arms being connected by a top bar 4 and a cross-piece v5 arranged adjacent the free ends of the arms 2. A bracket 6 is secured to and extends below the top bar 4 adjacent one of the arms 2 and is provided near its free end with a threaded opening 7;

A rubbing board frame 8 is provided which is rectangular in shape and comprises board frame being provided at spaced intervals with lugs 13, each of which has an aperture 14 therein. A corrugated rubbing board 14% is mounted within the rubbing board frame 8 and removably secured to the lugs 13 in any suitable manner, said board being formed from any suitable material such as glass, galvanized iron, or the like, with the corrugations thereon arranged in any manner found desirable. The rubhing board 1+ is provided with'a centrally arranged and transversely extending opening 15 for a purpose which will be presently described.

A bar 16 extends trz'lnsversely between the side bars 11 adjacent the trunnions 12 and has mounted thereon a soap housing 17, the top wall of which is provided with spaced final longitudinally extending slots 18. said wall forming at one end of the housing. a spring latch member 19 engageable with the bottom wall of the housing 17, while the other end of the housing extends withinthe opening in the rubbing board 1 1. A

follower is mounted to slide in the soap housing 17 and is provided in its upper face with recesses 21 registering with the slots 18 in the top wall of said housing. A supporting leg 22 is formed integral with the bar 16 and extends downwardly therefrom belo-w'the soap housing 17 and has its free end connected with the bottom bar 10 of the rubbing board frame 8.

A link 23 has formed therein between its ends a longitudinally extending opening 2+1, said link having an end pivotally connected with ears 25 on the top bar 9 of the rubbing board frame 8 and its lower end formed with spaced fingers 26, each of which passes through one of the slots 18 in the top wall of the soap housing 17 and has an end loosely receivedin'ifig-ecess in the follower 20, so that as said link is turned about'its pivotal connection with the ears 25 in a manner which will be presently described, the follower will be slid in the soap housing 17 toward the rubbing board 1%.

Arms 27 extend inwardly from the side bars 11 of the rubbing'board frame adjacent the top bar 9 and each arm has formed therein a: bearing opening 28 in which is mounted to turn the reduced end of a transversely extending shaft 29, said shaft being provided between its ends with a camwheel 30. The cam-wheel 30 is provided with a pair of curved faces 30 so arranged with relation to the link 23 that during the rotation of the-shaft 29, said faces are successively brought into contact with the link 23 below the opening 24 therein, thus causing the link to move the follower in the soap housing 17 toward theirubbing board bing board 14f the curved face on the ca wheel is raised above the lower edge of the opening 24 so that due to the inclined position of the board and the weight of the soap on the follower, the follower is moved by gravity toward the latch member 19, or

what might be termed its normal position and when in such position a portion of the cam-wheel is received in the opening 241 in the link 23. The shaft 29 has mounted thereon near one end a worm-wheel 31 meshing with .a vertically extending worm-shaft 32 having an end ournaled in one'of the arms 27 adjacent the wheel 31 and its other As the follower moves toward the 1132- 2 of the supporting frame 1 and has one end held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 33 by a spring 38 interposed between the pawl and the arm on the supporting frame which carries the ear to which the pawl is connected. The shaft 32 has secured to the end thereof which extends above the top bar 9 an operating wheel 39 which may be manually turned to cause the shaft 32 to impart turning movement to the shaft 29 and cause the cam-wheel 30 to move the link 23.

Adjustably connected with the top bar 9 of the rubbing frame is an ear &0 adapt: ed to contact with a screw -11 threadedly engaged with the opening 7 in the bracket (1 to limit the swinging movement of the rubbing board frame when pressure is applied thereto during the washing operation, such movement advancing the soap disposed within the housing 17, step by step, into contact with the articles being rubbed upon the rubbing board.

1V hen it is desired to use the board, the same is disposed within a tub in the usual inclined position and a cake of soap is positioned within the housing 17 through the opening 15 in the rubbing board. The screw i1 is adjusted within the opening 7 in the bracket 6 with relation to the ear 40 until rubbing movement upon the rubbing board will only impart a slight oscillatory movement to the board and frame connected therewith. The operating wheel 39 may now be turned to rotate the shaft 29 to cause a curved face 30 on the cam-wheel to contact with the link 23 below the opening 24; therein and advance the follower 20 within the housing 17 toward the rubbing board 14 sufficiently far to cause a face on the soap to lie flush with the front face of the rubbing board. The articles to be washed may now be rubbed over the soap and then over the rubbing board such rubbing action imparting rocking movement tothe rubbing board supporting frame and causing the pawl to turn the shaft 32 by means of the ratchet wheel 33, such turning movement of the shaft 32 rotating the shaft 29 through the connection of the wheel 31 with the shaft 32, thereby releasing the said curved face 30' on the wheel 30 from engagement with the link 23 and allowing the follower and soap to move within the housing 17 new the soap were away, the screw 41 is adjusted to increase the rocking movement cl? ehe rubbing board, so that the distance that blue ratchet Wheel 33 is burned by the pawl 39 is increased thus increasing lbhe frequency with which. the soap is tempo urily moved into contact with lhe arlgle cles being cleaned.

From the foregoing seaternents, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is at once apparent that a washboard has been provided which is strong and durable, and highly ellicient use. c

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is: 4 u

l. A, Washboard'oomprising a-eupporting tlranie, a rubbing board rnounbe-d Within said frame to isurn when articles are rubbed thereon, housing carried by the Supporting frame and received in an opening in the rubbing board, a follower Within said housing a link connecbed with the rubbing board for swinging movement, and mechanism carried by the supporting frame and rubbing board and operable through the burning movement of said board to impart swinging movement to the link. I

A Washboard comprising a supporting frame, a rubbing board mounted Within said frame to turn when articles are rubbed thereon, a housing having an end received in an opening in the rubbing board and provided with a slot-ted top Wall, a 01 lower loosely mounted in the housing, a link connected with the rubbing board for swinging movement, spaced fingers on said link paesingthrough the slotted top Wall of the housing and. engaged with the fob lower, and mechanism carried by the supportingframe and the rubbing board and operable through the turning movement of the rubbin board to impart movement to the follower Within the housing v 55.1% Washboard comprising a supporting frame, a rubbing board frame piv'otally connected with the supporting frame, a rub hing board carried by the rubbing board frame to impart swinging movement thereto when articles are rubbed on the rubbing board, a soap housing having an end re-. ceived in an opening in the rubbing board, a follower disposed Within said housing Janice of nm parent may he obtained for five cents.

the follower,

means for imparting sliding movement to a shall: earned. by the rubbing board frame and provided with a am Wheel, and mechanism ceunicclied u' 'r nh supporbing frame and rubbing board. rrame and operable through the rocking move znenh or": the rubbing board frame to said shaft end cause-the cam-Wheel cheat-eon to contact with said means.

" Washboard conlprisinq a supporting Irame, a rubbing board l cine pivoi'ially con nected Wilih the supporting :t'nme, a rubhing board removably connected with the last mentioned. frame and adapted to inn part rocking movement to the rubbing board. frame when articles are rubbed on the rubbing board, a housing" carried by the rubbing boardfl'lrameand having an end received in an opening in the rubbing board, afollower in said housing, means for imparting sliding movement to the follower including a shall; having a Worm-- Wheel thereon, and mechanism carried by the supporting i'rame and rubbing board frame and operable through the rocking movement of the rubbing; board frame to.

rotate said wornbwhcel,

5. WzISllbOfllCl connoriring a supporting frame, rubbing board frame turn Within said suppcrliug frame a rnl hing board having; a lransversely extend- .ing slob therein and connected with the rub hing board frame to impart swinging movement thereto When articles are rubbed thereon, a housing carried by "the rubbing b ard frame and havin f an end received in the. opening in the rubbing said housing being adapted to receive ca e of soap, means for imparting nicvenien to the soap Within the housing includ g a worrm shaft having a ratchet Wheel "thereon, and a spring pressed pawl adapted to be oper" ably engaged with the ratchet heel by lJhe turning movement of the rubbing board supporting "frame In testimony whereof I all); my signature in presence of two wienesses PERBEY lllHIlTUlT-l l UllYDEN.

each, by addressing 5511c "fiormnleetlcner or L fe zcnfsu,

, Washington, D. G. 

